Wheel.



B. a. BAKER. WHEEL.

APPLICATION'HLEDIULY28.1913- Patented Aug. 31, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

B. G. BAKER.

WHEEL.

APPLICATWN FlLED JULY 28. I913.

Patented Aug 31, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

unite "1 earns eaten.

BRYON G. BAKER, OF LAPORTE, INDIANA. ASSIGNOR TO M. RUMELY COMPANY, OF LAPORTE, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF INDIANA.

WHEEL.

Application filed July 28. 1913.

To all vclmm. it may (UHWFI'II Be it known that l'. ltavox G. BAKER. a cit zen of the United States. residing at Laporte, in the county of Laporte and State of Indiana. have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in heels, of which the following is a specification.

Traction engines and tractors are equally.

' With that end in view, I have provided a wheel made upof a pairof parallel disks removably attached to a huh. These wheels are preferably of steel stampin strong and inexpensive and such as may be easily re-- moved without any dilliculty in the matter of assembling. I propose that each one of these stampings be provided with a relatively narrow rim. I might provide a per fectly flat or cylindrical rim having cleats or grouters of the usual type or else a type with a large number of different kinds of treads such as would be suitable for a large number of difi'erent conditions. These differentt-reads might be made up of a numher of different segments or singular annular rims, depending on the circumstances of manufacture and the size of the wheel. These would be placed in position by removing the outer disk. then clamping the new form of tread member betwecnthe outer and inner disks and bolting the parts together. Anyunskilled laborer could perform this .job with a minimum amount oi' difl'iculty. and thus a purchaser with this type of wheel would be 'equip 'ied for any road conditions. The wheel. moreover. being made of rigid. fixed stampings. would be very light. strong and easily assembled.

My invention is illustrated diagi'auunatiically in one form in the -accoiupanying drawing. wherein Figure 1 is a side eleyation m"- a. wheel showing different fOl'IllSQOl tread rims at Specification ofLetters Patent.

I'lowever. the

tation about the shaftA.

Serial No. 781,498.

different points; Fig. 2 is a section along line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section along line ot Fig. 1; Fig. t is a plan view of a rim showing one form of the grouters attached thereto; Fig- 5 is a similar view showing a different form of grouters; Fig. (3 is a plan view showing wooden blocks; and ,Eig. 7 is a plan view showing rubber blocks. 5 i

Like parts are indicated by the -same let-' ter in all of the figures.

The shaft or axle A which I have for the purpose of convenience shown as being rotatably mounted has fixed thereon a spacing sleeve or collar A A bull pinion i is mounted on the shaft B having its hub in engagement with the'collar A, being held against rotation therealong by any suitable means.' A sleeve A having a flange A is also mounted on the shaft A. its end abutting against the opposed side ot the hub of the bull pinion A A spacing sleeve A is slidably mounted on the shaft A interposed between the sleeve A and a similar sleeve A which sleeve is provided with a A nut flange A similar to, the flange A A. is screw-threaded on the shaft A and adapted to hold the bull gear, the flanged sleeves and the spacing sleeve firmly against the. collar A and in fixed position with re spect one to the, other. It will be noted. that the flanged sleeves similar to the bull gear are all held by suitable means against ro- The lock nut A is provided to hold the nut A against rotation upon the shaft. As shown in l igs. 2 and 3 the shaft A extends a considerable distance beyond the lock nut A to provide for adjustment of the totallength oi the hub made up of the sleeves A, A? and A although in actual practice this shaft will probably be cut off and a removable extension used. f M

Two-part annular wheel bolted to the flanges A" ant A These wheel plates are made up of circular steel stampings or plates secured each .to the other and arranged back to back and attached together in any suitable manner. 'lhese plates it will be noted have cylindrical reinforcing outer rims B and annular reinforcing upset portion B Spacing sleeves B ai e inter 'iosed at suitable intervals lu-tween said upset portions B Patented Aug. 31, 1915.

lates B are spacing sleeves and the wheel plates in fixed and rigid position with respect each to the other.

B is a reinforcing ring surrounding andoverlying the reinforcing flanges B about 1O the peripheries of the wheel plates, this ring being of such width that it overlies both the flanges or pair of stampings making up a 3 single plate. It is attached to these flanges in any suitable manner not shown.

A cylindrical tread rim C is adapted to be arranged concentric with the wheel and overlies the reinforcing rims B and has rigidly attached thereto the reinforcing or supporting angles C one side of which make a reinforcement for the back of'the rim C, being parallel therewith, and the other side of which form a pair of supporting and guide webs parallel with the wheel plates. These webs are so disposed that as shown in Fig. 2 when the bolts C passing through the wheel plates adjacent their peripheries and through these webs, are tightened up the wheel plates are drawn together so as to hold the tread rim C firmly in constriated position between the peripheries of the wheel plates, thus providing a smooth cylindrical wheel rim. As shown this rim C is made up of a plurality of separate segments which may be separately attached or removed from the main wheel frame. The relatively small size of these segments makes them comparatively light and easily manipulated. Thus the segments may be removed and others having different treads for different purposes may be substituted.

C is a cylindrical wheel rim identical with G in its construction and relation to the wheel except that it carries on its surface grouters C projecting above the surface and adapted to break up and grip the soil to give better traction than the smooth cylindrical surface of the rim C. This rim also is, as. indicated, made up of sections whereby it may be easily removed.

C is a rim similar to C but with inclined grouters C.

In Fig. 3 is shown a Wooden tread rim made up of separated wooden segments D having an enlarged rim D inside the wheel through which the bolt C passes, having a narrow portion 1) projecting outwardly beprovided yond the periphery of the wheel and provided with inclined grooves D as indicated. Reinforcing or protecting plates D are rigidly attached to either side of the tread part D where it passes between the rims B In Fig. 7 and the lower side of Fig. 3 is shown a rubber tire made up of blocks or biscuits E held in position by the framework E supported on the base E which base is held between the wheel plates by the bolts C The cap screws E hold the framework E in position upon the base E I have shown the cylindrical bearing rim or tread made up of a plurality of sections. It will be quite obvious that it might be made only of one. It is quite obvious that these different forms of cleats or lugs might be removably attached to the rim and a separate rim carrying different types of grouters or treads will be used and put in position or removed according to the type of rim desired. The stiff cylindrical bearing rim, of course, carries all the wear and tear and the wheel plates and reinforcing parts are all protected and will need no renewal. When it is desired to insert a different kind of rim it is only necessary to unscrew the nuts on the outside bolts, take off the outside wheel plate, remove the unsatisfactory rim and replace it by another,replace the wheel plate and bolt the whole wheel together again. This is something which can be quickly and easily done by any one who knows how to handle a monkey wrench and the wheel is thus easily and quickly de-' mountable. Any one having a tractor or motor vehicle adapted to be used for different kinds of service would have, of

course, the different types of rims required either in one piece or in sections as the case may be and these different rims would be replaced from time to time as they become unsuitable by suitable types. The wheel is thus adjustable both as to its width of rim and as to the type of tread used. It is in .effect an economical wheel and the rim.

may be demounted by releasing the nuts on the shaft and releasing the nuts on the holding bolts tying the wheel together, drawing off the nuts on the outside of the wheel rim andthen removing the treads on the plates and replacing them by other tread segments. Of course, the rim might be continuous and might be removed as a whole.

This would probably not be satisfactory, owing to its too great weight, and it is preferable, therefore, to make it segmental so as to be easily handled and manipulated, but this is-not essential. It is only necessary that the rim segments which are removable tread adapted to be attached to any sort of H hea vy vehicle or tractor which is provided with a heavy, demountable, removable rim.

will be evident that, While I have shown in my drawings an operative device, still many changes might be made in size, shape and arrangement of parts, without departing materially from the spirit of my invention, and I Wish, therefore, that my drawings be regarded as in a sense diagrammatic.

I claim:

1. A Wheel for traction engines and the like. comprising a flanged hub, wheel plates removably attached to the flanges thereon comprising a pair of integral, annular, concentric, sheet metal plates annularly grooved and peripherally flanged, a Wheel rim removably mounted about the periphery of said plates, and means for holding said plates together adiacent their peripheries and at the annular grooves.

2. A wheel for traction engines and the .like comprising an axle, a hub member slid.-

able thereon and held against rotation thereabout, a spacing member on the axle and an outer hub member slidable on the axle and abutting said spacing member, means for holding the hub-and spacing members together on the axle, wheel disks mounted one on each hub member and removably attached thereto, spacing members between the disks independent of" the hub members and means for clamping the spacing members and the disk members together, a detachable rim mounted upon and supported upon the periphery of the Wheel plates and means for holding the rim in position and the plates together.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses this 17 day of July, 1913.

BRYON G. BAKER. 

